Mexican Hot Chocolate

in Diana's Recipe Book

Comments: This is the best hot cocoa and a truly authentic Mexican Hot Chocolate. Enjoy a cup with Mexican Wedding Cookies if you can find them at your local Mexican Bakery or try making them yourself, so good!!

Note: Recipe for Mexican Wedding Cakes (cookies) can be found on this website under this same International Desserts and Treats category.

Tip from Diana's Desserts I recommend using the Ibarra brand of Mexican Chocolate (tablets or disks) which are flavored with ground cinnamon. Ibarra brand and other brands of Mexican Chocolate can be purchased at MexGrocer.com.

Instructions: In a medium-small (2-quart) saucepan, combine the milk or water and chocolate. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is steaming hot and the chocolate more or less dissolved (there will still be small pieces). Pour into a Mexican chocolate pot (olla para chocolate) or a blender.

If using the Mexican pot, put a wooden molinillo in the pot and begin whipping the chocolate by rolling the handle quickly back and forth between your palms. The movement is a little like rubbing your palms against each other to warm them in cold weather-only here the molinillo's wooden handle is between them. After about 2 minutes of vigorous beating, dip a spoon into the mixture to make sure the chocolate has dissolved (they'll always be a few bits of chocolate on the bottom) and the mixture is very foamy.

If using a blender, loosely cover (or take out the lid's removable center cap-this eliminates dangerous pressure build-up when blending hot mixtures) and blend until the mixture is homogeneous and foamy, about 30 seconds. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender in a tall pitcher and blend until foamy.) To serve, pour into cups, dividing the foam equally, and they're ready. If desired, place a cinnamon stick in each cup.